Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Knowing God

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Ephesians 1:17 (NIV 1984)

In his letter to the Ephesian believers, Paul mentions two things that he is praying for them. He prays that the Lord will give them, “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” These two attributes are truly important for all believers, but they are also essential for Kingdom leaders who would hope to faithfully serve Him.

The ‘Spirit of wisdom’ is foundational for all good leadership. The world recognizes the need for leaders to have wisdom, but their answer for wisdom is by gaining experience. This can be personal experience gained over time or by studying the experiences of others. While this can be of some benefit, it does not necessarily translate into the paradigm of Kingdom leadership.

That is why Paul prays for the “Spirit of wisdom” to be given to us. Godly, Kingdom wisdom comes from above and is given to us by the Holy Spirit who indwells all followers of Jesus. This wisdom from above may be counter-cultural and counter-intuitive from the world’s perspective. But it will be perfectly aligned with God’s purposes for us and those we lead as we seek to follow Him. This Kingdom wisdom teaches us the ways of God as opposed to the ways of men (see Exodus 33:12-13ff) and enables us to lead in such a way that is pleasing to Him.

The ‘Spirit of,,,revelation’ is also key for Kingdom leaders. It means the bringing to light something previously hidden or unknown. A Kingdom leader’s need to find root issues, causes, and see both the future intended and unintended consequences of their decisions is essential. These things often cannot just be thought out. We need insight from the Spirit within us to reveal that which is hidden, either through ignorance, lack of information, or just not being able to foresee far enough into the future.

The result of gaining both wisdom and revelation from God is “… that you may know him better.” It is this “knowing Him” that will bring blessing to our leadership and ensure that our outcomes are aligned with His overall purposes.

Are you asking for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to come upon you and those you lead?